Wardrobe Declutter – Journey to Minimalism

I kicked off my minimalism journey with a wardrobe declutter a few months ago and am only just getting around to blogging about it! When it comes to clutter-induced stress my clothing is pretty high on the list and is something that affects me on a daily basis. A lot of the time I find myself staring at my very much full wardrobe and feeling like I have nothing to wear. I’m sure a lot of you can relate. Although you have plenty of individual items, they don’t necessarily go together. Or perhaps you just don’t feel great in those pieces but keep them hanging around just in case you have nothing else to wear. Or you don’t have anything appropriate for a particular occasion.

I heard Allison Anderson say in a YouTube video that instead of pulling out items you want to get rid of, you should first pull out your absolute favourite pieces, the things you love and wear all the time. After that, whatever else is left is negotiable. This idea was such a revelation for me. Normally I go to declutter but then find myself feeling overwhelmed, dithering over what to get rid of and only end up removing a small handful of items.

How I Decluttered My Wardrobe

This time around I did like Allison suggested and pulled out items that I loved and absolutely wanted to keep first. I pulled out 21 items, leaving a whopping 160 that were negotiable!! I was floored by how much of my wardrobe was made up of things I didn’t really like anymore. No wonder getting ready in the mornings was always such a chore!

Obviously with such a large portion of my wardrobe being candidates for the donation pile, I couldn’t unfortunately get rid of the lot as that would have left me with very very few outfits to wear. My next step was to pile the rest of my clothes onto my bed and begin sorting through them. I had 2 piles, one for clothes to get rid of and one for clothes that would remain in my closet for this round.

To help me decide, I looked at whether the items needed repairs that I knew I wouldn’t get around to or no longer suited my style. In some cases even tried items on to figure out if they still fitted properly, and throughout the process I tried as best I could to not let sentimental feelings get in the way. So often in the past I have held onto something because I wore it to a particular event or at a certain time in my life and it reminded me of that time. But I don’t need a room full of clothes I never wear, just so that I can pick them up maybe once a year and reminisce!

What I Got Rid Of

I managed to move 30 items out of my wardrobe, which I know still leaves me with a lot but I needed to have some clothes to wear, even if I didn’t love them. My plan is to gradually shop for pieces that I love, that fit me and my style well, and that go with other items I already own and love. As and when I bring new pieces in I will get rid of more items I currently own – the old one in, one out rule. So in theory my closet shouldn’t ever grow and I will just be left with things I love to wear.

I’m going to be tackling other areas in my life (I’ve already filmed a makeup declutter), and I’m sure I will do another wardrobe declutter in the near future as it’s slowly becoming easier and easier to let go of things that no longer serve me and are just taking up much needed space in my life. Let me know if you have any tips or tricks for decluttering and if you are joining me on this journey to a life filled with less stuff.